Jaiambe Pan

Jaiambe Pan is situated in Mulund West, right inside the Zaveri Estate area of Kathavada. It’s more of an industrial and commercial zone, so our days are tied to the working hours of the offices and small factories nearby. The shop is a simple structure made of wood and metal sheets. We have a small display case where we keep some snacks and cigarettes along with the paan supplies. The dust from the estate can be a bit much, so we are constantly dusting the jars and the counter. We get the betel leaves delivered every two days to keep them from drying out. There’s a small sink in the back where we wash the leaves and our hands. Kathavada is a busy place during the week, but on Sundays, it gets very quiet. We usually sit outside on a plastic chair when it’s slow. The lights inside are just basic fluorescent tubes that flicker sometimes. We don’t have a big menu or anything like that; people usually just tell us what they want and we make it right then. The Zaveri Estate is full of small businesses like ours, and we all know each other. It’s a straightforward life here in Mulund West. We focus on getting the mix right every time because that’s what the workers around here expect when they take their breaks. Sometimes the neighbors come by just to talk about the weather or the news. We keep a small notepad to track the credit for regular customers who pay at the end of the month.